Juan Manuel Santos

John Vizcaino/Reuters

News about Juan Manuel Santos, including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times.

Chronology of Coverage

Jan. 16, 2015

Colombian Pres Juan Manuel Santos appears to be seeking bilateral cease-fire with rebel group Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, by saying two groups are trying to find way to tamp down conflict. MORE

Nov. 18, 2014

Colombian Pres Juan Manuel Santos suspends negotiations with Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, country's main rebel group, and accuses it of kidnapping army general Ruben Dario Alzate and two other people; it is first major setback in peace talks intended to end 50 years of guerrilla warfare. MORE

Nov. 18, 2014

Editorial criticizes Colombian Pres Juan Manuel Santos for halting peace talks between government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia due to abduction of Gen Ruben Dario Alzate Mora; contends while kidnapping has potential to doom the talks, it could also serve to jump-start them if leaders on both sides manage to put peace process back on track. MORE

Jun. 20, 2014

Leftist Clara Lopez throws her support behind re-election bid of Colombian Pres Juan Manuel Santos, and is singled out at his victory celebration for playing decisive role in his triumph; by declaring a vote for him as a vote in favor of peace negotiations with rebel groups, Lopez makes the country’s left politically relevant again. MORE

Jun. 16, 2014

Colombian Pres Juan Manuel Santos is elected to second term, allowing him the chance to continue peace negotiations with rebel groups that may end decades of civil war; strong showing by rival Oscar Ivan Zuluaga, who opposes negotiations, points to skepticism on part of many citizens. MORE

Jun. 11, 2014

Colombian government begins exploratory peace talks with the National Liberation Army; move follows similar talks with larger rebel group FARC that began in 2012; decision comes just days ahead of a hotly contested presidential election that could hinge on how voters perceive the efforts of Pres Juan Manuel Santos to end decades of guerrilla warfare. MORE

May. 16, 2014

Presidential election in Colombia suddenly turns nasty, with main candidates and their backers leveling damning charges of payoffs from drug traffickers, illegal surveillance and even attempted murder; opinion polls show a tight contest between Pres Juan Manuel Santos and Oscar Ivan Zuluaga. MORE

Apr. 24, 2014

Colombian Pres Juan Manuel Santos reinstates Bogota Mayor Gustavo Petro one month after removing him from office to comply with decision by country’s powerful inspector general, who ruled that the mayor broke the law when he transferred garbage collection services to a city agency from private companies. MORE

Mar. 21, 2014

Colombian Pres Juan Manuel Santos approves order to remove Bogota's leftist Mayor Gustavo Petro from office, ending fight that has pitted left against right and captivated nation; Petro blames right-wing political establishment. MORE

Nov. 21, 2013

Colombia's Pres Juan Manuel Santos announces that he will run for re-election, saying he wants to finish work he started in seeking peace deal with country’s largest rebel group, Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia. MORE

Oct. 2, 2012

Colombian Pres Juan Manuel Santos says that he will undergo surgery for prostate cancer. MORE

Sep. 8, 2012

Marco Leon Calarca, spokesman for the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, says the rebels are optimistic about coming to terms with the government, despite Pres Juan Manuel Santos's rejection of a proposed cease-fire. MORE

Sep. 5, 2012

Pres Juan Manuel Santos of Colombia and guerrilla leader Rodrigo Londono, head of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia, will soon sit down to a new phase of peace talks with the goal of ending the long conflict. MORE

Aug. 28, 2012

Pres Juan Manuel Santos of Colombia says that his government has held 'exploratory conversations' with the country’s largest rebel group, aimed at ending a nearly five-decade-old conflict; says the details of the talks with the group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, would be made public in the coming days. MORE

December 1, 2014, Monday

The country’s main rebel group on Tuesday released two low-ranking soldiers captured after a recent clash with government troops, but it remained unclear when it would free a general and two others it seized separately.